Review: 'First Man' Finds Humanity In The Depths Of Space

Media
I write about film, television, pop culture, and other fun stuff.

Man on the moon.Universal Pictures

If you’ve ever had dreams of being an astronaut, First Man might just shatter them. The true terror, the confusing, claustrophobic conditions of space flight are impossible to ignore. But then again, so is the awe-inspiring sight of Earth from above.

This film manages to pluck a small-scale story out of a major historical event, fixating on the individual behind the accomplishment, Neil Armstrong, and the emotional burden he carried to the moon.

For Armstrong loses his young daughter at the beginning of the story, and the impact of her death pushes the devastated father into the depths of space. Armstrong is depicted as a man desperate to escape the horror of his household, and all of its painful memories.

As Armstrong’s fame and responsibilities grow, so does the distance between him and his family; he’s like a drone, a robot, blank-faced and calm when staring down death, and utterly helpless in the face of intimacy.

Ryan Gosling is an expert at portraying intense emotional repression, and manages to convey Armstrong’s heavy emotional burden with his trademark minimalism. His pain is ever-present, his mind eternally absent.

While some of the scenes set on Earth tend to drag on somewhat, every single second in space is ridiculously engaging. The film really emphasizes the vulnerability of these men, blasting off the face of the planet and into the abyss, inside a box held together with nuts and bolts.

The creaking metal, clunky analog controls, tiny windows offering a glimpse at the black void; it could all go up in flames, and often does. Men die trying to achieve the seemingly impossible mission, but Armstrong is unwavering in his dedication to NASA - he’s already dead inside.

One of the film’s most powerful scenes sees Armstrong forced to explain the details and danger of his moon mission to his two remaining children; it’s obvious that he would rather be trapped in a malfunctioning metal coffin than make eye contact with his family.

When the man finally reaches the surface of the moon, the tone is reverent. It’s a beautiful scene; that first step seems to be on holy ground, and while the implications of the historic moment are massive, the story stays grounded.

Neil Armstrong is a deeply sympathetic figure, and his story is truly fascinating. Which makes the flag controversy that initially surrounded this film all the more baffling; the film is peppered with more Americana than a superhero blockbuster, and I fail to see how anyone who has actually watched this movie can criticize that particular creative decision.

But I’d like to delve into detail regarding the controversy because it’s kind of interesting, which means venturing into spoiler territory - if you haven’t seen the film, please proceed no further.

Spoilers Ahead

The lack of flag-planting certainly wasn’t the result of some crazed “liberal” agenda, or an attempt to avoid offense to international audiences (seriously, who would be offended anyway?). The moment was not included simply because it didn’t fit the film’s theme of loss, and would’ve interrupted Armstrong’s arc toward acceptance.

Crucially, Armstrong plants his dead daughter's bracelet in a crater of the moon, in a powerful, extremely emotional scene that seems fabricated, too poignant to be true. The truth is a little more complex - the scene is a mix of fact (Armstrong did wander off, which wasn’t part of the plan) and speculation (nobody knows what exactly he was doing).

Did he drop a memento? Possibly. But the point is, he returned to Earth somewhat healed, having ritualized his grief, finally able to reconnect with his wife. Plonking the American flag in there would’ve messed with the tone, and lessened the emotional impact.

Hopefully, the controversy simply attracted attention and not a misguided boycott, because this film deserves to be seen.